double space or single space?

Bits

I see a lot of smart people here and figured, what the heck ill ask if should I double space after a period (.) or single space?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Definitely single space. Double spacing went out with monospaced typewriter fonts. Back then, because a period occupied just as much space as a capital "M", it was necessary to set it apart form normal word spacing by double spacing after it. But modern, proportionally-spaced typefaces have rendered that practice not only obsolete but just plain weird-looking. You don't see double spacing in print publications, so don't do it yourself.

OTOH, if you're still clanking out the Great American Novel on a manual Olivetti, definitely double space. And be sure to keep a bottle of Wite-Out handy, just in case.

-Phil

davejames

Even though I *hate* single spacing after a period, I have to agree with Mr. Pilgrim's assessment.

I still double space after the period out of habit (learned to in school). But our Framemaker default setup at work is 'single space', and it automatically ignores the second space. Heck, even this website ignores double spacing, even between words.

-_-

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)

Yes on double spacing here as well. Taught that back in high school typing course. It's never left me.

OBC

SRLM

Single space. And, gosh darn it, you put an Oxford comma before the conjunction in a list of three or more items.

ps: the target audience of the previous statement is writers in general.

davejames

SRLM wrote: »

Single space. And, gosh darn it, you put an Oxford comma before the conjunction in a list of three or more items.

ps: the target audience of the previous statement is writers in general.

Yup - we follow Chicago at work also.

Heater.

Being English and having lived in Oxford for a long while, I was curious as to what an "Oxford comma" might be. Never heard if such a thing. Turns out that having a fixed rule to always use or not use the Oxford comma is pretty silly. It is quite easy to create ambiguity by adding the Oxford comma but conversly it is just as easy to create ambiguity by leaving it out. You really have to evaluate the need for an Oxford comma on a case by case basis. See wikipedia for examples.

Dave Hein

Definitely double space.

Mike G

Heck, even this website ignores double spacing, even between words.

It's the browser and html not the website.

davejames

Mike G wrote: »

It's the browser and html not the website.

Really? How so?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

In HTML, extra spaces in text are ignored. This behavior, which is part of the HTML definition, can be overruled by inserting non-breaking spaces ([noparse] [/noparse]).

I find it interesting that those who favor double spacing learned the habit from typing, probably with a typewriter or word processor that used monospaced type. That is so last century, folks! I learned to type in 1965 on a clunky old Underwood and double-spaced for decades thereafter. If I can break out of the habit, so can anyone else.

-Phil

erco

idontknowwhatyouguysareallworriedaboutimeanpunctuationisntallthatimportantandneetherizspeling

Edit: hey, the software auto-added that space in the middle of "punctuation", I didn't! My artistic integrity has been compromised!

signed,

theforumistapreviouslyknownaserco

wmosscrop

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

I find it interesting that those who favor double spacing learned the habit from typing, probably with a typewriter or word processor that used monospaced type. That is so last century, folks!

I learned to type because I was sick and tired of making so many mistakes keypunching. Now THAT is an ancient technology (19th century).

On a side note, I ended up being one of the school's entrants in a city-wide typing contest.

Came in... next to last. Ah well.

Walter

localroger

Monospaced typefaces are still best for certain uses, particularly programming environments. I learned to and still always double space after a stop. It's much better to ask the software to fix the double spaces when the font is wrong (as HTML rendering does) than to add them when the font is wrong (which tends to screw up formatting for other things that aren't standard blocks of text).

Techno Ted

Double space is much more elegant!

Dave Hein

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

In HTML, extra spaces in text are ignored. This behavior, which is part of the HTML definition, can be overruled by inserting non-breaking spaces ([noparse]*[/noparse]).

I find it interesting that those who favor double spacing learned the habit from typing, probably with a typewriter or word processor that used monospaced type. That is so last century, folks! I learned to type in 1965 on a clunky old Underwood and double-spaced for decades thereafter. If I can break out of the habit, so can anyone else.

-Phil

Phil, it's a slippery slope. First you quit using two spaces after periods. then u stop using capitalization and punctuation then u r uzen abbreviations n mispellen werds perty soon u start typin like browser

pleeze uz too spases aftur periods

jazzed

Dave Hein wrote: »

Phil, it's a slippery slope. First you quit using two spaces after periods. then u stop using capitalization and punctuation then u r uzen abbreviations n mispellen werds perty soon u start typin like browser

pleeze uz too spases aftur periods

LOL u teh mon

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

According to this article [emphasis and [editorializing] mine]:

"With the introduction of proportional fonts in computers, double sentence spacing became obsolete, according to many experts. These proportional fonts now assign appropriate horizontal space to each character (including punctuation marks), and typesetting programs such as TeX can modify kerning values to adjust spaces following terminal punctuation, so there is less need to increase spacing manually between sentences. From around 1950, single sentence spacing became standard in books, magazines and newspapers. Regardless, many [hidebound, maladaptive individuals] still believe that double spaces are correct. The debate continues, notably on the World Wide Web—as many people use search engines to try to find what is correct. Many people prefer double sentence spacing for informal use because that was how they were taught to type [and they are unable or stubbornly unwilling to change their habits]. There is a debate on which convention is more readable, but the few recent direct studies conducted since 2002 have produced inconclusive results.

Much modern literature on typography says that double spacing is not desirable, but some non-typographical sources indicate that it could be used on a typewriter or with a monospaced font. The majority of style guides opt for a single space after terminal punctuation for final and published work, with a few permitting double spacing in draft manuscripts and for specific circumstances based on personal preference. Grammar and design guides, including Web design guides, provide similar guidance."

Get with the times, people! It's not the 1940s anymore!

-Phil

bill190

The following "checker" will replace a double space after a period with a single space...

http://www.gingersoftware.com/grammarcheck/

Dave Hein

If i understand correctly, two spaces should only be used with fixed-width fonts.  Is that correct?

On the other hand, one space should be used with variable-pitch font because it automatically introduces the correct gap after a period. It doesn't seem to work in this case, however.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Dave, yes that's correct; and the correct gap after a period with a proportionally-spaced font is a single space, so that works, too.

-Phil

Edit: Actually my browser added a little bit of space after the period, as the following blowup of your comment demonstrates:

Bits

Well I tend to see double spaced a lot while reading legal documents and find that is employed no matter the writing apparatus. I elect not to use double space but my lawyer friend insist that I reconsider.

As long as the rules for math stay firm I will not fight but mess with it and ill start a riot. By the way don't we have a Math Super Bowl with math cheerleaders and math scouts? I would make the 2nd round draft for sure. Professional math competitions on NBC soon?

W9GFO

This must be why I didn't do so well in english. I thought double spacing meant to write the sentences on every other line.

Bits

In fact you are correct however we are applying the term "double spacing" in this thread to mean two spaces after a period.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Bits,

Some courts in the U.S. still require monospaced fonts for pleadings. Hence, a lot of pleadings use Courier. Maybe that's where you saw the double spacing after the periods.

-Phil

Bits

Very true. I never though about it in this way, ah ha moment.

mindrobots

As with most questions of this type, it comes down to either one or two, IBM or Apple, windows or Linux, 8080 or 6800, black or white, true or false. When it's the final line, space after the period is infinite.

idbruce

I personally prefer a double spaced document, because I think it is easier to read. It is just an additional clue, besides the period, to indicate the sentence has ended.

RobotWorkshop

idbruce wrote: »

I personally prefer a double spaced document, because I think it is easier to read. It is just an additional clue, besides the period, to indicate the sentence has ended.

I am one of those who learned that you used two spaces after a period at the end of each line before starting the next. I will continue that practice as well since I too find it easier to read.

With just a single space it seems at first glance that instead of meaning the end of a sentence it meant an abbreviation like etc. and the sentence just continues on.

In either case I really don't care if others prefer a single space after a period after their sentences or not. I'll just keep on writing in the style that I am comfortable with.

Robert